Happy 2021!

Hey everyone!!! HAPPY 2021! I hope everyone had a great time celebrating with family and welcomed in the new year on a good note. It was a longer week here in Kirkland but the work is moving and I’m excited to start a new week! 

We started off the year on a positive note with some negative test results! That’s right hahah I unfortunately had to get tested for Covid this week after dealing with some really rough migraines and low energy. Luckily it was negative and I was able to bounce back within a few days! It was definitely an experience getting a giant q-tip up my nose but not as bad as my brother Scott made it out to be ;)

We had another typical week filled with lots of english classes and lessons! Quite a few of our friends are progressing in both the english language and their gospel testimonies so it has been a blast to watch.

The Flores family is doing well and we have especially seen a lot of amazing progress with the daughter, Karla! She has been reading the Book of Mormon everyday and it really has been special to be a part of! Karla is my same age and has become one of our closest friends. We even have gone to the extent where we drove to their apartment to spy on her getting picked up on a blind date with someone that she met on the internet that speaks zero spanish (she speaks zero english). When we told her that we were worried about her going on the date alone, she just laughed and told us that we were funny. But in our defense, we definitely had a reason to be concerned haha. Luckily, all went well and Karla made it home safely. The whole family is always right next to us at church every Sunday and we love it. The mom unfortunately is struggling keeping commitments and finding time to have the lessons with us but we are working so hard with them! Everyone keep Karla in your prayers! 

Other than lots of lessons and lots of rain that was it for the week! We had our interviews with President and Sister Beardall this past week and that is always a treat for us. There’s no one better to keep you accounted on your new year’s resolutions than the mission President right?! I love them.

For a quick spiritual thought I wanted to share a phrase that I heard while studying the Doctrine and Covenants this past week. My mom sent me a video of an institute teacher introducing the content of the D & C on the Facebook page ‘Unshaken’. One of his statements stuck out to me as he explained the importance of each book in the Church’s standard works. It reads, 

“The Book of Mormon brings people to Christ, but the Doctrine and Covenants brings people to the Church, to the kingdom of God.” 

I loved this simple but powerful phrase!! We are able to learn more about the function, creation and specific covenants of the gospel in the Doctrine and Covenants than any other book. How blessed we are to have had the early saints of the Church record and compile such valuable instruction from our Heavenly Father. It is so applicable to today’s own challenges. I’m excited to read more of D&C this year and I hope you all are too!

Thank you for all the New Years wishes and love!! You guys are all amazing. I think and pray about you all daily! If anyone can figure out how to send me some sunshine, it would be much appreciated ;) Have another killer week.

Sending love from rainy Seattle!!! 

Difícil es bueno. 

Xoxoxoxo Hermana Christensen 

Waiting for the Q-tip to my brain

Needing sunglasses...wishful thinking